


daisy

by shadowcat500



Series: Bad Things Happen Prompts [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Cafes, Gen, THEY ARE FRIENDS AND ITS GREAT, Trust Issues, having a crisis at 2am because your friend cares about you, why the fuck isnt cafes a tag what the fuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:15:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24844399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowcat500/pseuds/shadowcat500
Summary: daisy - innocence, loyal loveSoda stays.
Series: Bad Things Happen Prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797406
Kudos: 1





	daisy

**Author's Note:**

> it's 3am and you know what that means! time to cry about my OCs

The all-night cafe is quiet, in that city-night way where you can still hear traffic in the distance and maybe the buzzing of an insect trap but it manages to stay in the easy realm of white noise.

Soda sits across from her, one hand wrapped around a mug of cheap tea and the other splayed loosely out on the table, tilting the metal surface towards her. She's spacing out at the glowing sign in the cafe window. Poppy finds herself gazing at her distant expression before she snaps back to reality and puts her mug back down. 

Time to face the music. 

"Soda, you shouldn't have done that."

"What? The mug?" She quickly picks it back up before Popppy can get another word out.

"No, not-" she breathes a heavy breath through her nose before continuing. "Earlier. You got involved. Don't- don't do that again."

Soda's jaw clenches and her eyes narrow a fraction. "No. I'm doing it again. You can't stop me."

"You-"

"I wont stop. I care about you, and I won't just stand by while you get hurt."

"I won't-"

"It's not your choice. I'll throw myself in front of a dozen punches for you, and it's _my_ choice to do so. You're my _friend_ , Pop."

"Shea, I-I-"

It's the same thing as always though: the same way she always struggles. The same way she always struggles to express any response to something like that. The same way she can't tell her people that she loves them back: only throwing herself in front of any fists directed their way. Breaking herself on the fists of someone she doesn't care about has always been easier than breaking the idea of herself in the eyes of someone she does. 

"I-I-" I care about you. I don't want you to do that. It's not her place to say that. Soda can do what she wants, and if what she wants to do is stay next to Poppy that's her problem. (That's a lie. It'll become Poppy's problem the first time someone tries hitting Soda instead of her.)

"I'm staying, and you can't stop me." Soda clasps Poppy's cold, bruised hands in her own. Hers are strong, flexible, callused at the grips but soft everywhere else, and warmer than anything Poppy could want right now.

"You-- you shouldn't. It's not safe. You'll get hurt. And I-" don't want that. Please don't make me see that.

"I don't care. What I want is right here." She holds Poppy's hands a little tighter and looks her dead in the eyes, reckless determination burning bright in them like the sun, so bright Poppy has to look away. "And I'll stay as long as I want to."

Poppy doesn't, can't respond. Only dips her head too low for the cafe lights to catch her expression, and holds the hands caught in Soda's that much tighter.

**Author's Note:**

> bro i am so sad about poppy
> 
> people have been trying to hurt her since she was a kid and she's scared of the people she loves getting hurt too so she pushes them away and tries to keep them out of it
> 
> Kudos and comments appreciated!


End file.
